Team Natsu Week 2015
by bluebirdeyes
Summary: A collection of short drabbles centered around Team Natsu. Friendships this strong only come around once a century.
1. Intangible

**Someone organized a Team Natsu Week on Tumblr and I'm participating! I'm planning to do a short drabble for each prompt matched up with one member of Team Natsu (including the exceeds), and will be interpreting them _very_ loosely. Let's hope I can get them all written on the correct days because I totally forgot this was a thing until like yesterday haha.**

 **I'm planning an art piece for the last day, so it will only be viewable on Tumblr. But the written pieces, as always, go on all three sites (tumblr, ffnet, ao3).**

* * *

 **Team Natsu Week Day 1: Formation**

 **Title:** Intangible

 **Character:** Gray Fullbuster

 **Summary:** _If he couldn't hold it in his hands, he sometimes doubted it was even real._

* * *

Ice Make magic was, by nature, one of the most creative types of magic in common use. It drew magic from the user, culminating in the formation of whatever shape the mage so desired. It could be used to form almost anything, from weapons to birds, creating intricate sculptures with just a whim and a little magic power.

But there were some things even Ice Make magic couldn't form: intangible things, like love, and friendship.

"Oi, stripper."

Gray rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Whaddya want now?"

"We got a job."

"And what makes you think I'll go on it? I already got plans with Cana."

Natsu stopped next to Gray's chair and crossed his arms. "You really wanna go against Erza? Suit yourself."

"Damn Erza," Gray grumbled. "Just let me do my own thing for a change. We're always going on missions together; maybe I just want to hang out at the guild alone for once. You all go. I'm staying here."

"You're not really gonna make me tell Erza you're staying behind, right?" Natsu said.

"Good luck," Gray said.

A low growl rumbled in Natsu's throat. Damn, Gray'd made him angry. But to Gray's surprise, Natsu didn't pick a fight. He just leveled one last glare at Gray, glanced at Cana over by the bar, and walked out of the guild.

Well. That was easier than he thought.

Natsu gone, Gray stood up and meandered over to join Cana. He ordered his usual from Mira and settled down on his favorite stool, right next to his longtime friend.

"You not going on the job with your team?" Cana said, not looking at him as she sipped her beer.

"You heard?"

"You brought me into it; 'course I had to listen in and see what kind of trouble you were getting me into."

"No trouble," Gray said. "Even if you ratted me out to Erza, I'd be the only one in trouble."

"Natsu'll see through the lie," Cana said.

"The man's dense as a brick when it comes to this kind of stuff," Gray said. "Erza too. They won't know the difference."

Truth was, Gray hadn't made plans with Cana. That was just an excuse. It's not like he could refuse the mission without a good reason, and a prior engagement was something Erza was likely to honor.

"Why d'ya wanna skip out so badly?" Cana asked. "Seems to me like you lot make a pretty good team."

Mira set Gray's drink down in front of him. "I'd like to hear your reason as well," she said as she shuffled some things around behind the bar. "Is something wrong? Did you have a disagreement?"

"Nothing like that," Gray said. "I just… You're going to think I'm weird for saying this."

"Go on," Mira said gently.

"I don't know how to be friends with them."

The two girls stared at him blankly.

Gray rushed to explain. "I mean, I know we're friends. I get along really well with Lucy, but Wendy's just a kid. Natsu and I fight all the time. And Erza's kind of like an older sister to me I guess, but she's always been scary so there's this distance between us. I don't feel like we're as close-knit as everyone thinks they are. At least, I'm not; maybe the rest are, but I'm not."

There was a short pause before Cana burst out laughing. "Leave it to you to be this emotionally stunted," she said.

Mira took a more serious approach. "Gray, I've never seen you as happy as when you're on a team with them. Don't you think that counts for something?"

"I guess," Gray said. "But honestly, I'm a lot more comfortable here with my drink." He held it up as if to toast with Mira, then chugged the entire mug.

"Gray," Cana said, "you're an idiot."

Heat rose to Gray's cheeks, and probably not from the alcohol. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm afraid Cana's right," Mira agreed.

"Oi."

"You're capable of more than just Ice Make magic," Cana said. "You've made friends. You've made family. You've made a team. Let yourself enjoy it for once."

"That's different. Friends and family I made for myself. The team just…happened."

"A team doesn't just happen, Gray," Mira said. "You know that."

He did know that. And he knew they all considered him a friend just as much as he considered them his best allies. But damn, it was hard for him sometimes to acknowledge things that he couldn't hold in his hands. Natsu called all of him his friends, but he meant it in the sense that they were allies; did that really mean Gray could consider them close friends, with all the petty arguments they had? It's not like they ever had heart-to-hearts the way he and Cana did.

Ever since the team started going on missions together, they'd gotten closer and learned so much about each other that even years of growing up in the same guild couldn't compare. It all happened so naturally that it felt like they'd all become close friends without Gray even trying to make it that way. And how could he trust something he didn't even remember making?

"Ah, whatever," Gray said, standing up. "I should go. They're probably waiting for me. A bunch of idiots, the lot of them."

"And you the greatest idiot of them all," Cana said.

Gray grinned. "Can't disagree with that."


	2. Weakness

**Team Natsu Week Day 2: Magic  
Title: **Weakness  
 **Character:** Wendy  
 **Summary:** _No magic is ultimately "better" than any other, but it didn't always feel that way._

* * *

Wendy Marvell was the weakest link, and she knew it.

Natsu was strong. Erza was strong. Gray was strong. Even Lucy, whose magic wasn't the overtly attacking type, could deal so much damage alongside her spirits that the ground shook with the force of her attacks.

Then there was Wendy.

She'd taken to tagging along on the team's missions lately, but it was hard for her to feel like she was really a part of them. Her magic was more of a support type, powering up her teammates so they could fight better. As for her, she didn't do much attacking. She could do sky dragon roars and stuff, sure, but she was still weak. Her hands shook with fear after every battle, the nerves all hitting her at once.

Erza was strong. Erza never shook with fear. She had her magic to protect her.

"Erza, I'll bet you've never been scared, huh?" she said, feet swinging off the front of the magic-powered carriage where she rode next to Erza. Gray, Lucy, and Natsu were inside with the exceeds. Gray was yelling at Natsu not to throw up on his shoes. The usual.

"What makes you say that?" Erza said, not moving her focus from the road in front of them.

Wendy looked at Erza in surprise. "I mean, your magic is really strong. It can always protect you. Mine's not as powerful, so I get scared a lot."

There was a long silence between them, and Wendy worried that she'd said something wrong.

"Wendy," Erza said slowly, "there is no such thing as strong magic."

Wendy blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's not the magic that's strong or weak. Nobody's magic is better than others. Do you think Levy is weak just because she can't attack?"

"Well…no."

"Her magic is stronger than mine in many ways," Erza continued. "When confronted with Freed's runes, I can't do a thing. In that sense, my magic is weak. You get what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Wendy said. "But my magic is still weaker. It's support magic. You guys can attack and fight, but I end up standing on the sidelines because I can't do anything. I'm weak where it matters most."

"Wendy, you're a _dragon slayer_ ," Erza said. "That's one of the strongest types of magic around when it comes to battle. You were taught that magic so you could fight. Natsu and Gajeel can't use support magic. They can't heal their allies when they're hurt; all they can do is fight, and fight some more."

"I still wish I could fight," Wendy said.

"You know all the proper attacks, don't you? I imagine they're similar to Natsu's."

"Yeah."

"How about this? In our next battle, come with me on the offense. It'll be your job to protect me."

The very notion was absurd enough to make Wendy laugh. Erza didn't need protection. She was one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail, and Wendy doubted she'd ever lost a fight. There was no way she, little Wendy the new kid, could protect the legendary Titania.

"I'm not joking around," Erza said. "It's my desire to protect that makes me stronger. I won't force you to try and protect your teammates like that if you're not ready, but think of what about your magic makes it strong. What makes you strong? For most of us, it's the desire to protect. To protect our friends. If it weren't for that, we'd have nothing left."

There was a vulnerability in Erza's eyes, and Wendy wondered if she'd underestimated Erza by thinking of her as some indomitable force. There was more to Erza than her physical prowess. Even Erza had her weaknesses. And somehow, seeing this odd expression on Erza's face, Wendy really did feel the urge to protect her.

Maybe not now, when she was still learning. But someday. Someday it would be her protecting her friends instead of the other way around.

"Thanks, Erza," Wendy said. She decided to keep those thoughts to herself for now. "I feel better now."

"Anytime," Erza said smoothly. "Now, I know you said you didn't want it to loose effectiveness, but you might want to cast _troia_ on Natsu. If he doesn't stop all that moaning, I'm going to have to stop the carriage and knock him unconscious."

Wendy giggled. There was the usual Erza again. "Okay. I'll take care of it."

"Wendy."

"Yeah?"

"No one in Fairy Tail is weak. Least of all you."

"Yeah. Thanks, Erza."


	3. This Too Shall Pass

**I literally wrote this in like an hour and haven't even checked over it please forgive me**

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 **Team Natsu Week Day 5: Past  
** **Title:** This Too Shall Pass  
 **Character:** Erza Scarlet  
 **Summary:** _When the weight of the world is on your shoulders, it's always friends who come along and lighten the load._

* * *

It's not like Erza was secretive about her past. After everything that happened with Jellal and the Tower of Heaven, the fact that she'd been a weak child slave was common knowledge at the guild. Still, she never talked about it.

But after the battle with Tartarus, she started getting nightmares again. Being tortured by demons reminded her of her childhood spent fearing the harsh lashings of her slavemasters. The nightmares themselves were nothing she couldn't deal with; she'd faced worse things than a few troubled dreams. She just needed to become even stronger, that's all.

"Erza. Erza!"

Her eyes flashed open and she realized she was breathing heavily. Lucy was standing over her bed, a look of concern in her eyes. Erza sat up slowly.

"Lucy? What are you doing here?"

"This is my house. You slept over, remember?"

Oh. Right. Looking around, she noticed the familiar furniture of Lucy's bedroom and her memory came back to her.

Between Natsu's sudden disappearance and the guild disbanding, Lucy had been an emotional wreck the past few days. Erza had her own business to attend to — she couldn't stay idle when things were like this — but she decided to have an extended sleepover before they parted ways. Natsu was gone off to who-knows-where, Gray left to train with Juvia, and Wendy had been invited by Chelia to join Lamia Scale. So at least until she had to leave as well, Erza would keep Lucy company to stave off the inevitable loneliness.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Lucy asked, getting back into bed.

"I don't remember," Erza said. Though by the way her heart was still racing, it was probable.

"Well you were whimpering a lot so I was getting worried, and when I was about to wake you up, you punched me out of bed." Lucy rubbed her arm where there was sure to be a bruise later.

"Sorry about that," Erza said. "I can get violent when I sleep in the same bed as someone."

"I'm not surprised," Lucy said.

"Yet you're still getting back in with me."

"Well, yeah, nobody wants to be alone after having a nightmare."

Erza smiled softly. She really would miss Lucy.

"So? Wanna talk about it?"

"I really don't remember," Erza said. "Ah…wait, I think it just occurred to me. I'm not sure it's something you'd want to hear about at a time like this."

"Tell me," Lucy said, shifting under the covers so she was propped up on one elbow facing Erza, waiting patiently for her to speak. Erza guessed there was no avoiding it now.

"This is just a guess, but lately I've been having dreams about my childhood," she confessed.

"Ah."

"Kyouka tortured me for information when I got captured. It…it reminded me of the past. It dredged up all sorts of things that I don't want to think about anymore, but so much has been happening lately that I don't have the energy to suppress them properly. So they keep coming back in my dreams."

"I'm sorry for pressuring you to talk about it," Lucy said quickly when Erza paused. "I know you don't like discussing your childhood."

"No, it's actually a good idea. Maybe talking about it will help. I usually bottle it up, but this other method is worth a try."

"I'm more than happy to listen," Lucy said.

"Well, you already know the basics. Ah, but did I ever tell you about Rob?"

"No, I don't remember the name."

"Well, he was one of the other slaves I knew, and he was actually a mage from Fairy Tail."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "No way. So that's why you joined Fairy Tail?"

Erza nodded. "He used to be on the same team as Makarov and Yajima back in the day. Apparently they were all close friends."

"So he was old then."

"Yes. He's the reason I lived through the slave rebellion, and he's also the reason I can use magic."

"He must've been a great person."

"He really was. He talked about freedom a lot, and the freedom one can find within oneself. At the time, all I could remember was life as a slave, so I loved listening to him. Once he told me this story about the time he…"

Erza launched into a long story, talking about Rob, about the other kids she would play with, about Jellal. She talked about all the happy times she had in the midst of suffering thanks to the goodness in the hearts of her fellow slaves. She talked about things she hadn't even thought about in ages, and as she did so, she felt the fog in her mind clearing up. By the end, even if she hadn't talked about the traumatic memories that plagued her thoughts, she really _did_ feel better.

"I always knew you had a horrible childhood," Lucy said, "but I'm glad you had good times. I mean, I knew there were good times with Jellal and your friends, but it was nice to hear about them. I'm glad."

"Thank you for listening," Erza said. "I feel better already."

"That's good. Now you can have good dreams."

Speaking of dreams, it looked like Lucy was about to slip into dreamland any moment. How long had they been talking?

"You must be tired. I'm feeling much better now, so you can sleep."

"Okay," Lucy said, obediently closing her eyes. Her breathing quickly drifted into the slow rhythm of sleep.

Erza made herself comfortable, watching the small smile on Lucy's lips. She'd miss this face. After that talk, the burden lifted off Erza's shoulders felt like a parting gift from Lucy, and Erza worried that Lucy would take that burden on for herself once everyone was gone.

But she'd come back someday. Erza would. Everyone else, too. Though they'd dispersed quickly after Makarov's announcement and sudden disappearance, Erza knew that Fairy Tail wouldn't give up so easily. They'd have to live with the disbandment for now, but someday, they would all come back together again, with or without Makarov.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I'll be counting on you," Erza whispered, clearing the hair from Lucy's face. It was always Lucy who brought them together, and she was certain that if the rest of them failed, it would be Lucy to bring them together one last time.

Perhaps her past would always haunt her. But with Lucy and her friends by her side, Erza knew she could always look forward to the future.


	4. Home

**Team Natsu Week Day 6: Family  
** **Title:** Home  
 **Character:** Lucy Heartfilia  
 **Summary:** _Lucy thought about family a lot over the years, wondering what the word "family" even meant. Now, she finally knew._

* * *

Her father was strict, cold, a broken man with an even more broken family — what was left of it, that is. Lucy went through so much suffering at her father's hands that it was nearly impossible to forgive him for all he'd done, and by the time she was ready to start their relationship over again, it was too late.

Her mother was kind and gentle, and gone far too soon. Her existence was almost like that of a goddess, a beautiful and untouchable being made only of the same love she claimed was the one true magic. It sure felt magical to Lucy. Even in her memories, there was nothing but warmth and comfort.

That was then.

Now, Lucy had no blood relations to speak of. All the ones she knew were dead, and if there were others, they were never a part of her life anyway. And she was Lucy of Fairy Tail now. She'd never legally gotten rid of her surname, wanting that connection to her deceased parents to remain despite the difficulties, but it's not like she was lonely even without it. Not most of the time, anyway.

But even when times got tough, she could always count on her new family to be there for her: Fairy Tail. It was a big family, and a little whacky, but it was hers. It was home.

Her teammates were of special importance to her. She spent so much time with them that they were almost like siblings, that's how close they were. She had a sisterly relationship with both Erza and Wendy, and a brotherly relationship with Gray. And Natsu…well, Natsu was in a league of his own, her best friend, her partner.

They were a family. All of them had lost their own blood relations and even their first found families, and instead they stuck with each other. Maybe the first round of families didn't work out, or even the second. But third time's the charm, Lucy thought.

Lucy was the only one to grow up with blood-related parents, which was a little strange to her sometimes. Gray still vaguely remembered his parents, but Natsu and Wendy had been raised by dragons and Erza had no memory of her life before enslavement. So she was the only one who knew just how different family was between people who were blood relations and chosen family.

It's not always different, of course — Igneel and Wendeeney were Natsu and Wendy's parents in every sense of the word — but there's still a certain nuance to the fact that they _chose_ each other. Lucy loved her parents, sure, but after all those conflicts with her dad, it was a little painful to see the others have such fond memories of their own families. If she had any say in the matter, she would've taken a dragon over those cold and lonely halls any day. But such comparisons were flawed and she knew it. Family was family. Even Gray fought with his first found family, Ur and Lyon.

But that was in the past. They were all in Fairy Tail now, which made them family. Even if it weren't for the name of Fairy Tail binding them together, Lucy somehow felt that they would've found each other someday, by whatever means. The bonds that drew them together were fated, she could feel it. They were not teammates by chance, but because they were right for each other.

They were family. It may not have been blood that bound them together, but something even more powerful than mere blood ties bonded them. They were _family_. And Lucy loved them more than she ever thought she could love a family.

Fairy Tail was home. Her apartment on Strawberry Street was home. But her team, her teammates were _home_.


	5. Honest Idiot

Uhh so I skipped a few days during the actual week, but I still had a plan for what I was _going_ to write for them, so...I finally finished this one up. It's not much, but it gives me peace of mind. All that's left is Happy's! Wonder how many months it'll be before I finish that one haha

* * *

 **Team Natsu Week Day 3: Trust**  
 **Title: Honest Idiot**  
 **Character:** Charle/Carla/Charles  
 **Summary:** _She knew she could trust them because they trusted her first._

* * *

Honestly, Charle didn't trust Fairy Tail. Wendy did, of course, but Wendy was naive and gullible. They'd taken her in after she lost her former guild, something that had come as a shock even to Charle, but Wendy was quick to make Fairy Tail her new home. Wendy was fine with the situation. Charle still had her doubts.

And now, after their trip to Edolas, they even had in-depth knowledge of Charle's special ability. While she'd trusted them in the moment, it was the aftermath that worried her. She didn't want to be used by them just for her ability to predict the future, as she'd often feared they were.

She _wanted_ to trust them. But trusting others was hard when Wendy was all she'd ever had.

"Hey, Charle, can you guess what I'm going to do?" Happy said, bouncing around on the other end of the table.

She didn't even have to look into the future to know the answer. "You're going to try giving me a fish."

Happy looked at Natsu with eyes even rounder than usual, if possible. "Woah, Natsu, did you hear that? She knew!"

"She's pretty great," Natsu said absently, more focused on staring down Gray across the room.

"It has nothing to do with my ability. You're just too predictable," Charle said.

"No, I even switched it up this time, but you still got it right," Happy said, pulling out his gift from the satchel on his back. To Charle's surprise, it wasn't a fish. Well, it was, but it wasn't the usual stinky raw fish he was always shoving in her face. This was a wooden carving of a fish, crudely done but definitely still a fish shape.

"What's with the fish?" Charle said, a little dumbfounded.

"What do you mean?" Happy said. "You don't want it?"

"I mean...why is it made out of wood?"

Happy's face fell a little. "Well, you always reject the food I give you, so I thought maybe it's because you want something that will last. So I got you this fish instead." He held it out toward her, those big eyes of his begging her to take it.

Well, at least this one didn't stink. "Fine. Just this once," she conceded, taking the fish in her paws and setting it down next to her. She'd have Wendy bring it back to the dorm and put it somewhere later.

"Is it hard to look into the future? How does it work?" Happy said, that eager expression of his getting more and more curious.

"It just comes to me," Charle said. She sniffed. "It's none of your business how it works, anyway."

Happy scratched his head. "Oh. Yeah."

There was a long pause after that. Charle crossed her arms, satisfied. At least he wasn't trying to pry; she'd give him some credit for that.

"It's just that," Happy said out of the blue, "if it's hard for you or if it takes a lot of energy or something, don't use it too much. Plus we need you full of magic in case something happens, so you can protect Wendy."

"We can all protect her," Natsu said, finally paying attention to their conversation now that Gray had left the guild hall.

"I protect Natsu," Happy said, "and Charle protects Wendy. You're family, right? Like me and Natsu are. Humans can't fly, so we need to be their wings."

Natsu grinned. "So that's what you meant! That's true. And you're the best partner there is; I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," he said, rubbing Happy's head. Happy leaned into Natsu's hand, purring happily.

Charle looked across the guild at Wendy, who was laughing rosy-cheeked as she chatted with Lucy and Erza. "Wendy said the same thing," she said.

Happy looked at her. "Hm?"

"Wendy's always worried that my visions will make me tired."

"Do they?" Natsu asked.

"No, they're usually fine; like I said, they mostly just come to me," Charle said.

"Then it's fine," Natsu said, grinning.

"It seems to stress you out sometimes," Happy said. "I don't want you to be stressed."

"I'm fine," Charle said, feeling shy all of a sudden. This concern for her health was somewhat unexpected, although she knew she shouldn't be surprised by it. They were all nice people, after all, regardless of her distrustful nature. "...thanks."

Natsu bounded off to join the girls' conversation, and Charle turned to look at Happy. She studied him closely, looking into those huge, honest eyes of his. He blushed a little under her gaze.

"You know," she said finally, "Fairy Tail isn't so bad."

Happy blinked. "Eh? Of course! They're all super nice. They raised me, you know."

"If they managed to raise an overly honest idiot like you, I guess it would be okay to trust them. You're all honest idiots, the whole lot of you."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?"

Charle smiled. It was probably a compliment, but she wasn't about to admit that. "Don't mind it. Thanks for the fish."

"Yeah, sure."

She left him behind her, flying past Natsu and settling comfortably into Wendy's waiting arms. Wendy was still her favorite, and the only human she truly believed in. Well, these Fairy Tail guild members weren't so bad either. But she'd keep that thought to herself for now.


End file.
